The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may or may not constitute prior art.
Typical transmissions using planetary gear sets include planet gears that spin at high speeds of up to approximately 15,000 RPM. The high rotational speeds of the planet gears require direct lubrication to the pinion gear bearings. The current solutions include using long radial drills to provide lubrication fluid to the pinion gear bearings. Another solution employs oil catchers, however, both current solutions are relatively expensive and require additional axial length when used in a transmission.
While these planet gear lubrication solutions are robust, there is a constant desire to reduce the cost and complexity of the planetary gear set and to improve the packaging efficiency of the transmission. Accordingly, there is room in the art for an improved planetary gear set having a compact package for a confined space application, improved cost and improved pinion bearing lubrication.